U.S. military chief urges Seoul to share defense burden

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the highest-ranking American military officer, called for stronger defense cooperation from South Korea during a trilateral security meeting in Seoul on Friday. He warned that North Korea and China are engaged in an “unprecedented military buildup” aimed at advancing their strategic goals.

Speaking at the Tri-Chief of Defense (Tri-CHOD) conference at the Yongsan joint military headquarters, Gen. Caine emphasized the need for stronger trilateral collaboration among South Korea, the United States and Japan. He said the current focus on nuclear and missile threats should expand to include China’s growing military presence.

“China and North Korea are moving clearly and decisively toward their objectives, and we must bear that in mind,” he said. Gen. Caine, who oversees military strategy under President Donald Trump’s second term, also noted that this was the first time South Korea hosted the Tri-CHOD conference since its inception in 2014.

Reflecting on the inaugural meeting, Caine said the dialogue had initially focused almost entirely on North Korea’s nuclear threat. “In the first meeting, we said we are illuminating a future path together, from building capacity to true sharing of responsibility,” he said. “Today, we move forward on their shoulders into an incredibly delicate chapter in our nations’ shared history.”

His repeated references to “responsibility sharing” were widely interpreted as a call for Seoul to shoulder a greater share of the regional defense burden, particularly in efforts to counter China’s military rise.

In a joint statement following the meeting, the three defense chiefs reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation. They stated that ROK–U.S.–Japan security ties have played a vital role in promoting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific. The leaders also explored ways to strengthen collaboration for regional stability.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com